Item: Used Mini Hatchback 2014-present
Rating: 4
Author: Steve Huntingford

The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/ford/fiesta/hatchback/used-review/n952">Ford Fiesta</a>&nbsp;is the benchmark for small cars, being great to drive, with a good driving position and an intuitive dashboard and interior layout. It’s practical, has some great engines and is relatively cheap to buy and to run. Its steering is sharp and it has long been the best-handling car in the class.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/seat/ibiza/hatchback/used-review/n987">Seat Ibiza</a>&nbsp;has always been an impressive car, but the latest version gives even the class-leading Fiesta a run for its money. It’s superb to drive and is more spacious and practical than the Ford. It’s got a great infotainment system too. It should be even cheaper to buy used than the Fiesta, too.

If you're interested in finding a <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-cars/mini/hatchback?nearlynew=true&amp;used=true&amp;yearFrom=2014">used Mini</a>, or any of the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-reviews/category/small">other small cars</a> mentioned here, head over to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-cars">Used Car Buying</a>&nbsp;pages to find lots of cars listed for sale at a great price.

<a href="https://pages.haymarket.com/whatcar/wcar-form.html">For all the latest reviews, advice and new car deals, sign up to the What Car? Newsletter here</a>

Page 5 of 5

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<h3>Spare wheel</h3>

For early vehicles made from the start of production until 30 September 2014, the emergency spare wheel (if fitted) may work loose from the underside of the car.

<h3>Front seat backrest</h3>

The front seat backrests on Minis produced between 1 August 2014 and 30 September 2014 could have some play in the mechanism. This could, in the event of a collision, lead to injury because the seat may not remain in an upright position.

<h3>Airbag</h3>

There could be an issue with&nbsp;airbags that might not deploy in a collision on vehicles produced between 14 September 2016 and 21 October 2016. Check with your local Mini dealer to see if your car is affected by any of these safety recalls, because new airbag modules will need to be fitted.

<h3>Crankshaft sensor</h3>

A problem with the crankshaft sensor fitted to some diesel models manufactured between 22 May 2018 and 12 June 2018 could result in rough running and an engine malfunction warning light to illuminate. The engine could also stall, too. Speak with your local dealer if you think your car is affected, because it will need a new sensor if it is.

<h3 dir="ltr">EGR module may leak</h3>

A number of diesel-powered Minis built between 3 March 2014 and 17 March 2017&nbsp;that are fitted with an exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) module could have an issue with it leaking. In extreme circumstances, it could cause a fire, so affected cars should be inspected by a Mini&nbsp;dealer to find out if it needs replacing.

The Mini hatchback (in petrol form) featured in our latest reliability survey, placing sixth out of 17 cars in the small car category – a respectable result. Mini as a brand managed a fifth place ranking out of 30 manufacturers featured, which is also a praiseworthy rating.&nbsp;

If you would like to see the full reliability list, head to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/news/2021-what-car-reliability-survey/n23397">What Car? Reliability Survey</a>&nbsp;pages for more information.

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Hatchback

Talk about taking an idea and running with it. The big-selling Mini hatchback is still at the core of the firm’s range, but its cute styling and relatively compact dimensions have been spun off into an estate (the Clubman) and an SUV (the Countryman), as well as a convertible.

Despite its small size, the Mini is a firmly premium product, and the three-door hatchback counts the Audi A1 and Volkswagen Polo among its key rivals.

The fact that Mini is owned by BMW brings some big advantages –&nbsp;not least the fact that its infotainment system is based on BMW’s industry-leading iDrive.

MINI

HATCHBACK

A used Mini is a great all-rounder and one that should be on your shortlist if you want a high-end small car

Used Mini Hatchback 2014-present

<h3>MPG</h3>

Not surprisingly, the diesel-engined Minis are&nbsp;the most economical, according to the official figures. The 1.5-litre diesel&nbsp;has a combined NEDC&nbsp;fuel consumption of 72.4mpg, while the more powerful 2.0-litre gets 68.9mpg. The best-performing petrol engine is the 1.5-litre found in the&nbsp;Cooper, recording an&nbsp;average of 60.1mpg, followed closely by the smaller 1.2 in the One that&nbsp;gets 58.9mpg.

The performance-orientated Cooper S and John Cooper Works models do consume more fuel at a rate of 49.6mpg&nbsp;and 42.8mpg, respectively.

After some model revisions in 2019 to deal with the introduction of the current WLTP fuel economy standards, the diesel engines were withdrawn from sale and the economy figures for the 1.5 and 2.0-litre petrols were revised to 52.3mpg and 43.5mpg respectively.

<h3>CO2 emissions</h3>

Go for the 1.5-litre diesel for the lowest emissions because it only puts out 95g/km of CO2. Next up is 1.5-litre petrol with 109g/km, then&nbsp;the 1.2-litre petrol and&nbsp;2.0-litre diesel that both emit&nbsp;112g/km.

The performance-orientated Cooper S and John Cooper Works models do consume more fuel at a rate of 49.6mpg&nbsp;and 42.8mpg, respectively. and 133g/km, and 42.8mpg and 155g/km respectively.

After some model revisions in&nbsp;2019 to deal with the introduction of the current WLTP fuel economy standards, the diesel engines were withdrawn from sale and the economy figures for the 1.5 and 2.0-litre petrols were revised to 52.3mpg and 43.5mpg respectively.

<h3>Road tax (VED)</h3>

Road tax for all models registered before 1 April 2017&nbsp;will vary depending upon the emissions the engine produces, while examples registered after this date will have&nbsp;the same flat rate fee for cars that cost less than £40,000 when new. This is currently £165&nbsp;per&nbsp;year. &nbsp;

<h3>Servicing and insurance</h3>

Insurance groups are good for all Minis, with a range from a moderate 11 up to 30 for the racy John Cooper Works cars. Servicing plans are available as a monthly direct debit&nbsp;for all cars, and can cover&nbsp;MOTs, vehicle health checks, sat-nav updates as well as valets.

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A used Mini is a great all-rounder and one that should be on your shortlist if you want a high-end small car


Around £6000 is the entry point to the&nbsp;Mini&nbsp;club.&nbsp;Up the ante to between £8000&nbsp;and you’ll find a good number of three&nbsp;or five-door cars dating from 2016. Spend between £8000 and £10,000 on cars from 2017 and 2018, and between £12,000 and £15,000 on post-facelift 2019 models. You'll need between £16,000 and £22,000 for the later 2020 cars. For a 2021 or 2022 model, expect to pay upwards of £18,000.

Check the value of a used Mini hatch&nbsp;with <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/valuations/">What Car? Valuations</a>

Find a used Mini Hatch for sale <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-cars/mini/hatch?minManufacturedYear=2014&amp;sort=priceAsc">here</a>

<h3>Engine</h3>

The 1.5 petrol is our favourite engine because&nbsp;it pulls strongly across the rev range without any of the annoying surges in power delivery that you often get with three-cylinder engines. The Cooper SD is hard to fault if you favour diesel power, although it’s not as potent as the Cooper S.

We’d recommend avoiding the Cooper S unless you're getting a very good deal. It’s easy to drive smoothly, but not seriously rapid enough to justify the expense over&nbsp;the better-value Cooper, which is just as much fun in real-world use and&nbsp;far from slow.

<h3>Specification</h3>

Even the cheapest Mini model when new, the One, gets 15in alloys, foglights and air-con. Step up to the Cooper if you for the more potent 136bhp 1.5 petrol, and, considering its popularity, you should be able to find one for a reasonable price.

There are myriad options to choose from on all new Mini models, but it’s worth trying to find a car equipped with the Chili Pack, and if you can,&nbsp;the Media XL Pack is also worthwhile looking out for not only for the bigger screen, but for additional smartphone connectivity.&nbsp;

Whether you prefer three or five doors is dependant on how and what you intend to use the car for but, apart from a small fuel consumption loss, the five-door version doesn't suffer on the road for being the bigger car, and is the more practical if you're carrying passengers, so that's the model we'd go for.

Our favourite Mini Hatchback:&nbsp;1.5 Cooper (Chili and Media XL Packs) five-door

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<h2>What we're looking for:</h2><ul><li>Spacious enough for four adults to sit comfortably</li> <li>Logically laid-out interior that doesn’t</li> <li>feel too cheap</li> <li>Mature driving manners </li> <li>Decent-sized boot</li> <li>Competitive buying and running costs</li></ul>

Small cars, or superminis as they’re also known, used to be bought almost exclusively as first cars or by people with no children – but the likes of the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/ford/fiesta/hatchback/review/n106">Ford Fiesta</a>, <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/seat/ibiza/hatchback/review/n17359">Seat Ibiza</a> and <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/volkswagen/polo/hatchback/review/n83">Volkswagen Polo</a> have grown to the point where they can be considered all-round family transport, albeit with the odd compromise.

The Fiesta remains a star of the class, thanks to its strong Ecoboost petrol engines and suspension settings that are beautifully judged for British roads. However, the latest Volkswagen offers even more practicality, decent performance and a classy interior that has the edge on the Ford’s for quality.

Any of these models will be a competent commuter car – especially if fitted with one of the increasingly popular small turbocharged petrol engines – but just remember that while you’ll be able to carry two adults and two children, it might still be a struggle to get all of their luggage into the boot.

Small

Most Minis will have been used enthusiastically so check the bodywork for any car-park scuffs and dings to the wings, as well as the alloy wheels for any kerb damage.

The Mini range has expanded at quite a rate since the first BMW Mini appeared in 2001 – take a peek at the used car classifieds and, as well as this Hatch,&nbsp;you’ll find convertibles,&nbsp;coupés,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/mini/countryman/hatchback/used-review/n770">Countryman</a> SUVs and <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/mini/clubman/estate/used-review/n17567">Clubman</a> estates, in addition to the odd <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/mini/roadster/sports/used-review/n17413">Roadster</a>, too.

That said, the humble Hatch is a <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/best/best-used-small-cars-for-less-than-pound10000/n17015">small car</a> that remains&nbsp;the bread-and-butter model of Mini's flourishing range, whether in three&nbsp;or five-door trim, and when this third-generation version appeared it continued the tradition of earlier models by being longer, wider and taller than the car it replaced. Indeed, it’s fair to say that in its modern form, the Mini isn’t very mini at all, but then you’d have to say nor is anything else these days, and that certainly hasn’t stopped this car from being one of the most popular hatchbacks in its class.

The entry-level One initially used&nbsp;an underpowered 101bhp 1.2 petrol unit, while the One D&nbsp;uses a 94bhp 1.5-litre diesel. The Cooper gets a 136bhp&nbsp;1.5-litre petrol, a 115bhp 1.5-litre, three-cylinder diesel, while the&nbsp;Cooper S has a&nbsp;197bhp 2.0-litre, four-cylinder petrol engine and the Cooper SD has a 168bhp 2.0-litre, four-cylinder diesel. The top-of-the-line JCW hot hatch has a more powerful 231bhp version of the engine used in the Cooper S.

The later models used just two versions of the 1.5-litre petrol engine, two versions of the 2.0-litre petrol and introduced the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/mini/electric/hatchback/review/n20910">all-new 135kW all-electric </a>version.&nbsp;

You won't find many different trim options, but there are&nbsp;numerous&nbsp;packs to look out for. The Chili Pack&nbsp;adds dual-zone climate control, automatic lights and wipers, LED headlights, additional storage and an adjustable boot floor. The Comfort Pack has heated front seats and rear parking sensors, while Comfort Plus has all this and a reversing camera. The Navigation Pack adds (you've guessed it) sat-nav, while&nbsp;Navigation XL includes a bigger, 8.8 infotainment screen. The Tech Pack includes Comfort and Navigation Plus while also throwing in&nbsp;an uprated Harman Kardon sound system. The Driving Assistance Pack has automatic emergency braking.

This changed somewhat in late 2018 with the introduction of 'style' tiers to Cooper and Cooper S models: Classic, Sport and Exclusive. Think of them as Classic being the standard version,&nbsp;Sport having the more athletic styling inside and out (and also a firmer ride, because most had sports suspension fitted;&nbsp;it became a no-cost option from the 2020 onwards), and Exclusive being the posh one with a bespoke alloy wheel design and fancier leather seats inside. The various optional packs continued as before.

More changes arrived for 2021 – an entire facelift, in fact. It ushered in&nbsp;new exterior styling, including a larger front grille,&nbsp;equipment upgrades and added personalisation options.&nbsp;

Underneath is a&nbsp;more rigid platform shared with some of BMW’s new front-wheel-drive cars, and it helps to preserve the tight handling characteristics&nbsp;the brand is associated with, while adding a degree of sophistication to the ride that makes this version the most comfortable and refined Mini yet.

The ballooning outside proportions mean that this is&nbsp;the biggest Mini Hatchback yet, with more room front and rear than previous versions and some good-looking soft-touch plastics. Peer too closely, though, and there are a few rough edges, with lower-grade materials, but it still has the familiar Mini driving position and dashboard, along with the clever BMW iDrive-based&nbsp;infotainment system utilising a handy rotary controller that's really easy to use.

If you're interested in finding a <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-cars/mini/hatchback?nearlynew=true&amp;used=true&amp;yearFrom=2014">used Mini</a>, or any of the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-reviews/category/small">other small cars</a> mentioned here, head over to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-cars">Used Car Buying</a>&nbsp;pages to find lots of cars listed for sale at a great price.

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Used Mini Hatchback 2014-present review

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Looking for alternatives to the used Mini Hatchback 2014 - present? The expert What Car? review team guide you through some great options.

The Ford Fiesta is the benchmark for small cars, being great to drive, with a good driving position and an intuitive dashboard and interior layout. It’s practical, has some great engines and is relatively cheap to buy and to run. Its steering is sharp and it has long been the best-handling car in the class.,The Seat Ibiza has always been an impressive car, but the latest version gives even the class-leading Fiesta a run for its money. It’s superb to drive and is more spacious and practical than the Ford. It’s got a great infotainment system too. It should be even cheaper to buy used than the Fiesta, too.,If you're interested in finding a used Mini, or any of the other small cars mentioned here, head over to the Used Car Buying pages to find lots of cars listed for sale at a great price.For all the latest reviews, advice and new car deals, sign up to the What Car? Newsletter herePage 5 of 5

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Used Mini Hatchback 2014-present review

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